Thursday, July 24, 2014

Religion and Mental Health

It's been a year since Winnipeg mother Lisa Gibson killed her two children and herself due to postpartum depression. Following the tragedy, I wondered if religion could have made a difference for Lisa, and for others facing mental health challenges.

The
tragic story of the death of Winnipeg mother Lisa Gibson—who killed
her children and herself a year ago due as a result of postpartum
depression—was covered by almost every angle by the media: Legal, criminal,
mental health, gender, medical, political.

But
one angle that didn’t get any attention from reporters was religion.

It’s not surprising in one sense; religion
usually only makes the news when there’s a scandal or a new pope is
elected. But it is surprising in another; numerous studies have linked being
part of a faith community with positive mental health outcome, including
dealing with suicide andpostpartum depression.

Why does religion promote positive
mental health? Without discounting the supernatural, a main reason is that
being part of a faith community provides a network of caring people who look
out for each other.

According to someone close to the family, the
Gibsons did not belong to a faith community. But if they had, I wonder:
How would local congregations have responded? I contacted some Winnipeg
clergy to find out.

“In
the context of regular involvement in church and small groups, people support
one another in whatever life throws at them, whether that is an issue of mental
health, physical health, child rearing, financial need or anything else,” says
Marvin Dyck, pastor of Crossroads Mennonite Brethren Church .

“We
become to one another a part of the village that raises the child, or otherwise
carries someone along through the inevitable crises of life,” he says.

Allan
Robison, President of the Manitoba and
Northwestern Ontario Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints,
says that caring for families is a high priority for Mormons.

“After
the birth of a child we come to the home and bring meals for the family until
the mother gets on her feet,” he says, adding that church members continue
to make regular visits to see how parents are doing.

If
professional help is needed, he says, the church is quick to connect people
with other resources, he says. If necessary, they will pay for it.

“I
don't know if any of that could prevent what happened [to Lisa],” he says, “but
we do love and care for each other, and that usually seems to keep our members
feeling loved and cared for.”

Michael Wilson, pastor of Charleswood
United Church, notes that being part of a faith community is no “guarantee that
this tragedy might have ended any differently." But, he says, "I
think being part of a faith community does matter. One hopes that a faith
community is a safe place to tell others what you are experiencing and then
shares it [that experience] with you.”

For women with post-partum depression, “we
would hope that a faith community offers the prospect of being directed to the
appropriate help by removing the stigma of naming our problems. Finally, we
hope that companionship is a central element of being in a faith community and
we try to connect people with others who have been through a similar struggle.”

Belonging to a faith community is no
guarantee that people won’t face mental health challenges or crises. But it
seems that being part of a congregation can make a difference when it comes to
coping with them.